//------------------------------// // Midnight's Last Stand // Story: Light and Darkness – The Shadow of Midnight // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// On Tinkerbell’s residence, Smee and the zombie pirates were still looking for Hook who was still invisible. “Where are you?” Smee asked. “Where are you, Hook?!” Knowing full well those six wouldn’t be able to catch Hook on their own, the Shadow made her eyes glow and called: “Cragadile…” He, sensing the Shadow calling him, advanced there and, once arriving there, it didn’t take long for him to smell Hook and then subdue him, making him visible again. After that, Cragadile used his tail to secure Hook. The Shadow approached him and said: “I had enough of you. You lied to me and worked against me.” “All I wanted was to protect Rara” Hook replied. “Against my wishes and commands and only to affect me” the Shadow said. “Let me go!” Hook demanded. “Shaman!” the Shadow called. And so the Shaman appeared beside her. The Shadow asked him: “What do you have to say about Hook?” “He’s a traitor” he replied. “He plotted against us.” “Let him up” the Shadow said to Cragadile. “Let him face his accuser.” Cragadile did so and the Shaman approached Hook, telling him: “You have already betrayed the Queen once and she banished you to the Pony World. But you stole my watch and kept coming back. You must pay.” Hook turned to the Shadow and asked: “Your Majesty, another chance, please!” “No, the Shaman is right” the Shadow replied. “It’s over. Feed him to Cragadile.” “No!” Hook shouted, starting then to run. Cragadile pursued him, but it was then that he was hit by a beam of gale nature. Noticing that, Hook stopped and he saw Apple Bloom and Scootaloo landing beside him, along with Midnight. Hook then proceeded to tell them: “The Queen took Sweetie Belle. She’s up there with the others!” They all saw Sweetie Belle, suffering from the effects of having her talent stolen from her. “We’re coming, Sweetie!” Scootaloo exclaimed, taking flight to get her friend. Seeing that, the Shadow shouted to the zombie pirates, not wanting the Crusaders to ruin her plan: “Get them!” The pirates assumed their zombie form and prepared to fight. One of them threw his ropes, but Midnight summoned her shield of blacklight nature that also caused pain to the zombie pirates. “Oh, look who’s there…” the Shadow said. “The Crusaders brought me a present. Oh cute…” Meanwhile, three zombie pirates were able to get Scootaloo. The young pegasus mare tried to free herself, but her adversaries were holding her quite tightly. Fortunate for her, Apple Bloom was there to help with her vines. “Thanks, Apple Bloom” she thanked. Midnight placed two other zombie pirates inside a barrier of blacklight. Noticing how much Midnight had grown with her magic, the Shadow noticed that she would need all hooves on deck to deal with that situation. Sensing somepony hiding in a nearby branch, she ordered: “Get there and fight.” The Shaman got out of behind the branch and approached the Shadow, saying: “I don’t have my stones anymore, Your Majesty.” With a burst of light, the Shadow conjured a new stone that she handed to the Shaman, saying: “Take this and show me your loyalty.” Taking the stone, the Shaman replied, while kneeling: “Yes, my Queen.” The remaining zombie pirates fought Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. However, Smee had been preparing himself, by planting new traps on some branches. He turned to Scootaloo that was nearby fighting some zombie pirates. The symbols he had planted started to glow and then they shot tendrils to each other, creating then what appeared to be a spider web. Scootaloo was so distracted fighting that she didn’t noticed the web and ended up being caught by it. Smee revealed himself and said: “I know some magic, by the way.” He then heard some noise and noticed Tiger Lily who appeared holding a spear and pushed him way. “Nice timing” Scootaloo said to her. Tiger Lily used her spear to release Scootaloo and they returned to the fight. Noticing her presence, the Shadow became enraged. “Tiger Lily… So she’s on this as well…” Cragadile advanced to Tiger Lily, preparing to attack her, but she, unafraid, used the stone she had as a pendant and, with it, created a barrier around the stone crocodile that, when hit caused the barrier to become even stronger and Cragadile suffer from the sound created by the impact. After that, he just fell down and fainted. “How did you…?” Scootaloo asked. “Cragadile may be immune to direct attacks, but he is not against the enhanced sound of his attacks” Tiger Lily said. “Wow, it was like Sweetie Belle was just here fighting with us” Scootaloo commented. “Midnight?” Apple Bloom called. The young filly created more barriers of blacklight around the rest of the zombies, Cragadile and Smee. “Got them” she said. But then a stone was casted to the edge of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Tiger Lily. It exploded and created a tornado that caught them. “No!” Midnight exclaimed, wanting to go help them. But when she was about to do it, shadows surrounded her and caught her, bringing her to the Shadow. “Hello there” the evil queen greeted. “I wanted to meet you for some time, you know, young Midnight.” Tiger Lily was able to get free from the tornado. She knew that magic belonged to her father and so she looked around. It was then that she found him. He was hiding behind a tree, holding his stone. Quietly, she approached him and, when he least expected, Tiger Lily swung her spear and disarmed the Shaman from his stone. “You!” he exclaimed, while seeing her. “I’m sorry, father, but I can let you do this” Tiger Lily replied, using her spear to break his stone. “No!” the Shaman exclaimed. Once that happened, the tornado vanished, releasing Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Once recovering, Apple Bloom summoned some vines that tied him up. “Stay right there” she told him. “Good team work” Scootaloo said. “Now we got all of them. Let’s save Sweetie and the others.” But when they were about to do it, a swarm of green-eyed shadow creatures immerged with the Shadow at the top and Midnight being hold close to her. “My minions are useless” she said. “But it doesn’t matter. I have the final piece I need. And you three are going to pay for your meddling.” Shadows advanced against the Crusaders and Tiger Lily and the three of them started to fight them off. But it was a hard thing to do. Midnight noticed that the Shadow was focused on them, so, without her noticing, the young princess summoned the jewel behind her and started to work on the sealing magic. Getting tired of seeing all that fight and knowing that her adversaries could get the upperhoof, Tinkerbell summoned a bell that she played. Once she did that, multiple bells made of light appeared and also rang, causing enormous soundwaves that disturbed the two Crusaders and Tiger Lily. The Shadow laughed, jumping down and using the fighting skills she got from Night Glide to knock them down. After doing that, she told them: “You can’t defeat me.” “She sounds like Rara” Apple Bloom commented. “And she fights like Night Glide” Scootaloo said. “We have to stop her.” Scootaloo used her gale nature again, but the Shadow blocked it. Next, Apple Bloom conjured some vines to trap her, but the Shadow, seeing this, took control of those vines and made them attack Apple Bloom. Fortunately, she was able to defend herself. “She can also use Sunny’s wood nature” she said. “And you haven’t seen the half of it” the Shadow replied. And so she casted a supersonic scream that casted them away. On the ground, Appel Bloom said: “Ah can’t believe it… she also has Sweetie Belle’s power.” “Now, let’s go get a new power so I can get rid of these disgusting binds” the Shadow said, turning to Midnight and approaching her. Midnight, seeing the Shadow approaching, panicked, as she still a little more time. Sweetie Belle was inside her bud, feeling weak for having her powers taken from her. It was then that she saw Hook on the branch where her bud was and using his hook to cut it. Once he cut the bud, Sweetie Belle was able to free herself. She made a thankful gesture to Hook and then landed softly and advanced to help her friends. The Shadow was almost near Midnight when she sensed something and turned, seeing Sweetie Belle who said: “Now it’s my turn.” And she casted a gust of wind that disarmed her from the bell that fell on the ground and rolled until it reached Hook’s hooves, with him taking it with his hook. Now freed from her bell’s magic, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Tiger Lily got up and joined Sweetie Belle. “You don’t have anywhere else to go” Sweetie Belle said. “That’s what you think” the Shadow said. “You may have got away, but soon I will the power of a pair of Twins of Light and Darkness.” Shadows appeared to block the way of the Crusaders and Tiger Lily and the Shadow advanced towards Midnight. “We have to do something” Sweetie Belle said. “No, Sweety, wait” Apple Bloom said. “Wait for what?” Sweetie Belle asked. “If Tinkerbell steals Midnight’s talent…” “But that’s not Tinkerbell” Scootaloo said. That statement confused Sweetie Belle who asked: “What do you mean that’s not Tinkerbell?” “It’s an evil spirit that has possessed the real Queen Tinkerbell” Tiger Lily explained. “An’ only Midnight can stop her” Apple Bloom replied. “We need tah have faith she’ll do it.” The Shadow approached Midnight and said: “Now let’s put you in a bud, shall we?” “I wouldn’t be so certain of that” Midnight replied, feeling ready to try to seal the Shadow. Having said that, Midnight showed the sealing jewel, much to the Shadow’s shock and shouted: “Sealing magic now!” “No!” the Shadow exclaimed. The jewel started to shine with intensity. For a moment, Midnight thought she had made it. Even the Shadow showed fear at the thought of getting sealed. However, when the jewel was about to be activated, her shine suddenly stopped. “What… No!” Midnight exclaimed. Noticing the sealing had failed, the Shadow released an evil laugh and, with a swung of her foreleg, she tossed the jewel which fell on the ground and shattered. “Did you really think you could seal me?” the Shadow asked. “Me?! I’m the queen of Neverland. The Stealer of Talents! A little brat like you can do nothing against me. Just because of this, I should turn you into nothing!” When Midnight saw the Shadow raising her hoof, she flinched. However, the Shadow just touched gently on the filly’s face and said: “However, I still need you. I need your power… you talent, so I can get out of this disgusting realm. I know you know who I am. That jewel was with Tiger Lily. She must have told you everything. But I think you can understand why I’m doing this. You’re a Dark Twin, someone that has been walking on the shadow, much like me… wandering and seeing others having their dreams come true, stuck in place that you hate over everything.” “You know nothing about me” Midnight replied. “I know more than you can imagine” the Shadow replied. “Ever since I got to know your existent and your sister’s after your first encounter with Smee and the zombie pirates, I knew what you were. Twins of Light and Darkness… Such a rarity in these days. But I knew I could get the talent I needed to get out of here from you. In all of my existence, I’ve never seen Twins of Light and Darkness with such potential like you two, and look that I’ve seen a lot. And that’s why I need you… Now, it’s time for you to take your place on that tree. See it on the bright side: with you there, you’ll be together with your dear sister, without fearing to embrace that darkness inside you.” And she laugh maniacally, while preparing to capture Midnight. The young princess, now without the magic jewel she needed to seal, start to give up to her fate. It was then that her look went to her sister, trapped in a bud and was staring back to her twin. Midnight then looked to all the other talents, the air of misery they had, being imprisoned for months in a place like that. It gave Midnight the force she needed to keep fighting for what was right. However her only chance to seal the Shadow had been shattered. She needed a magical jewel if she wanted to trap the evil being. It was then that a flash of light came to her eyes that seemed to come from… her mane clip. Of course, she could seal the Shadow inside the jewel of her mane clip. Midnight only needed to perform the spell. But, if she managed to do it, she would also drag herself into the jewel, having in count how close the Shadow was. Nevertheless, it was a necessary sacrifice she needed to do… for Sunny, for the abducted talents, for the Pony Reality. Midnight traded one last look with her twin sister who, realizing what she was about to do, started hitting on her bud, while trying to shout something, only to not be heard. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let you win” Midnight told. Having said that, she started doing her sealing spell. The jewel of her mane clip started glowing as well and that glow was even stronger than the one the other magic jewel had. “What… What are you doing?” the Shadow asked, as the glow started to involve her and Midnight. “You’re… You’re trying to seal me… No!” She tried to let Midnight go, but she couldn’t. It was like she was stuck. “You underestimated my potential and my feelings” Midnight replied, while her eyes started to shine with a dark glow. “That was your great mistake. And now you’ll punish with your freedom. A tinier cell awaits you.” “Don’t be foul!” the Shadow exclaimed. “If you do this… you’ll also be dragged into that same cell.” “If that’s price I have to pay in order to protect my home and the ones I love, then be it” Midnight replied. “No… You can do this to me! I’m the Queen of Neverland! I can’t be stopped! NOOO!!” And the Shadow was dragged into the jewel. Midnight feeling herself being pulled inside of it, made a last look and a smile to Sunny and then was sealed. Without their queen, the shadows disperse and the buds got burst, releasing all the talents that were imprisoned. Despite the pegasus ponies were able to sooth their fall, the others didn’t have that luck. However, Sweetie Belle, using her wind nature, was able to sooth their land. “Seetie Belle!” Rara exclaimed, going to her friend and hugging her. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle.” “Rara, your beautiful voice is back” Sweetie Belle commented. The barrier that was holding all the Shadow’s minions also disappeared, as Midnight was not there, and the same happened to Apple Bloom’s vines holding the Shaman. Now recovering their senses, Cragadile, Smee and the zombie pirates started to run away. “Look, they are running!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Let them be” Tiger Lily replied. “Now that they are freed from the Shadow’s control, they are no threat to us. At least not in an immediate time.” She then approached the Shaman who, after recovering from the initial confusion, noticed Tiger Lily and said: “My daughter… is that you?” “Father” Tiger Lily said, hugging him. “It’s good have you back.” While running, Smee and the zombie pirates found Hook at their way. “Going somewhere, Smee?” he asked. “Please, have mercy” Smee said, while he and the zombie pirates kneeled before him. “We didn’t know what we were doing. You know we only serve you… captain.” “Good, because now that both the Shadow and Tinkerbell are no longer here, we can get hold on what is rightfully ours” Hook replied, making a dark smile, while holding the bell the Shadow had. Sunny, after being freed, went to the place where Midnight was and found nothing but her mane clip, with its jewel now adopting a more green color, despite still having some purple. She took the mane clip and tears started to appear on her eyes. “Oh Midnight…” she said. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle landed beside her and the former asked: “Hey, where’s Midnight?” “Midnight pulled that mean queen into the jewel of her mane clip” Sunny told. “But that also caused to be pulled in as well.” That caused the Crusaders to make a worried look. Inside the jewel, Midnight was falling through the jewel. She look ahead and so the reflection of her sister and the Crusaders in mosaic. Extending her hoof, Midnight tried to reach them, but she just fell even more. That was until she landed softly in a crystal floor of a round chamber with mosaic walls. When Midnight started to look around, she saw the purple becoming green and the reflection of the shadow appearing for a moment. She then noticed her standing close to her and looking at her with a mocking look. The young princess tried to use her magic, but she was too weak to use it after using the sealing spell. But perhaps, because she was the one casting the spell, she could wish to get out. “I wish to get out” she said, while rising up. “I wish to get out.” “Silly little princess, now what kind of trap would this be if you could wish your way out of it?” the Shadow asked cynically, with a total different voice. “It looks like it’s just you and me now, but not for long. You see my dear, I know what makes ponies tic, their dark impulses, their greatest fears… And I know your greatest fear has just come true: being alone, without friends to give you a hoof in times of need… But now, you’re here and, no matter where you turn, there’s no one to help you.” She laughed evilly, what caused Midnight to retreat a few steps, with some fear for the villain. However, she filled herself with all the courage she could find and replied: “You’re wrong. I may be alone, but that doesn’t mean I will fall. I don’t need any help to fight you. All I need is my courage and that’s something you cannot take from me!” “Please, spare me that typical heroic speech” the Shadow replied. “If you think you’ll survive me with only your courage, then you’re very wrong.” “That’s what you think” Midnight, while keeping retreating. “I’m not afraid of standing alone.” “You don’t have to worry about that soon enough” the Shadow replied, keeping their distance. “You won’t be standing long.” She casted a wave of magic that pushed Midnight back against the floor and the Shadow kept saying: “You may be powerful with all that dark magic, you may have defeated many obstacles on your way, but now you’ve met your match and believe when I tell you won’t surpass it.” “You’re wrong…” Midnight replied, standing up again. “I may be alone, you may be my match, but I won’t give in. I can’t do that. As long as I can stand, I’ll keep getting back up and fight.” That caused the Shadow to crack an evil laugh again and say: “A Dark Twin acting like a hero, how cute. But that fading light won’t last and, once it is gone, you can be sure you’re going to be mine.” “Yes, I’m a Dark Twin, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be a hero” Midnight said. “I’ll be like the sun and rise every single time.” “Then I’ll be your night and fall over you!” the Shadow replied, casting another wave of magic. That wave of magic knocked Midnight down again. Recovering from that blow, Midnight looked up and saw the Shadow approaching. For a moment, Midnight felt fear, but then, behind the villain, she saw the image of the seven ponies that helped her in moments of great fear: the six Generals and Star, who was in the middle, all smiling at her and looking at her in an encouraging way. By looking at them, Midnight could feel herself be filled with light, as she remembered everything she had learned with them. With Star, she learned to forgive and not let secrets ruin what she felt for the ones she loved. With Mirror Coat, she learned to take responsibility for her mistakes and to fix them. With Heartbeat, she learned to trust her instincts, even if they are wrong. With Melody, she learned she could do anything as long as she tried. With Leaf Mane, she learned about team work. With Purple Smoke, she learned to accept her own talent. Finally, with Golden Paladin, she learned to believe in herself. All those lessons reignited Midnight’s will to fight and made her realize that, despite her magic didn’t have any light, it didn’t mean there wasn’t any inside of her. A smile appeared on her face and she said to the Shadow, while getting up and advancing towards the villain: “You may know my fears and my magic, but there’s one part of me that you don’t know, a power that you cannot feel. You know, when you give love, it is returned to you and that makes you stronger.” Hearing Midnight say things like that, made the Shadow feel like there were other ponies watching them, but she couldn’t see anyone there. “What does that mean?” she asked to the little filly. “I don’t understand.” “It means that, as long as I remember the ones I love and keep them in my heart, my light will shine and chase away the darkness” Midnight said, while a strong light started to come out of her, forming a ball of light that started to head towards the Shadow. The villain became caught by surprise by seeing something like that, but she didn’t let herself show any fear and said: “I’m the Shadow of Neverland! Your little light is nothing compared to my darkness. I’ll show you were real power lies with one final wicked blast!” And she casted a new wave of dark magic that started to compete with Midnight’s light. Despite the Shadow’s darkness made Midnight to retreat a few steps and almost land on her knees, the latter remained still and focused on beating her adversary. “You did everything to make me fall, but that will not work anymore!” Midnight exclaimed. It was then that her light surpass the Shadow’s darkness and then surrounded her. She could feel her power disappearing, as it was casted away by all that light. “No…” she said. “No! I can’t this be happening?!” “Because I stand for one and all” Midnight replied. “I may be alone here, but my family, my friends, everyone that you kidnapped… They are all my light and that’s what will allow me to see through your dark night.” “But… you’re just a filly… and a Dark Twin” the Shadow said, while trying to shield herself from all that light. “This cannot be!” “I’m more than all that” Midnight told. “I may be small, alone and my magic may be dark, but I’ve grown. All the challenges that I faced turned me into the pony I am now, a pony with a strong will and a pure heart. That’s why I know my love will be your end!” The Shadow could feel her own essence starting to disappear, with it being consumed by Midnight’s light. She was now so weak that fell on her knees. For a moment, the Shadow raised her hoof to cast another attack on Midnight, but the forces left her and she fell, with the light consuming her completely. There was a bust of light and, when it disappeared, Midnight noticed that her surrounding had become purple again and somepony else appeared on the Shadow’s. It was Tinkerbell, before the Shadow had taken over her, with her golden hair, crown and her wings resembling the ones of a butterfly. Midnight approached her and asked: “Queen… Tinkerbell?” She looked at her and said: “You… you saved me. Thank you…” “You don’t have to thank me, Your Majesty” Midnight said, while helping Tinkerbell get up. “I just did what needed to be done.” “I’m glad that our fates have crossed” Tinkerbell said. “Not only you saved me, but you saved Neverland from the Shadow’s evil reign. But there’s now one problem…” She looked up and Midnight did the same. Now that the Shadow had been defeated, they could see the exterior of the amulet with clarity. “Do you think we’re going to be imprisoned here forever?” Tinkerbell asked. “I… don’t know” Midnight replied. “But I have faith my friends will find a way.”